


Caught Off Guard

by jpscyther24



Series: Logan Shepard [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 22:56:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20750144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jpscyther24/pseuds/jpscyther24
Summary: It's been six months since Logan Shepard graduated Officer School and she's going crazy from the lack of action. So when the chance to lead a unit to investigate the sudden disappearance of the Alliance colony on Akuze is presented, Shepard volunteers without hesitation. Little did Shepard know that this mission would have a profound affect on her life.





	1. Opportunity

“This meeting better actually be important.” First Lieutenant Logan Shepard groggily spoke to herself, as she made her way to whatever briefing room her superiors booked this time. It was eight in the morning, Shepard had barely gotten dressed before she got the summons. Another last second meeting first thing in the morning. All of which so far could have just been sent via email, rather than a crack of dawn meeting. It wasn’t just the early meetings that made Shepard tired and cantankerous, it had been 6 months since graduating Officer School. Shepard had yet been assigned to a ship, station, or any other Alliance base since graduating. Shepard was tired of slumming it up on Arcturus Station, the headquarters of the Alliance. She wanted to be back out in space, doing something. This is not what she was hoping for after transferring from the Marines to the Navy. Then again, she did choose to go to Officer School. 

“Glad you could make it, Shepard. Take a seat.” Rear Admiral Terrell Bergman, a short, barrel-chested man, with skin as dark as a moonless night, motioned for Shepard to take one of the remaining seats among the other recent Officer School graduates. “Alright, I’ve delayed enough. 36 hours ago we lost contact with the pioneer colony team on Akuze. We’re receiving signals, which means power and communications are operational. However, no one seems to be responding. I’ve been requested to send a platoon to Akuze to investigate. Now, I’ve been going over your records..”

“I’ll take the assignment, sir.” Shepard rose to her feet, and snapped to attention as she interrupted Bergman. All previous grogginess now gone, as Shepard’s adrenaline spiked. 

“Well, someone is eager to get out there.” Bergman didn’t look up from the service records as he continued, now in a mocking and condescending tone. “Looking to wear down the polish on that butterbar, 2nd Lieutenant...”

_ “First Lieutenant”,_ interjected Shepard before Bergman could continue. “1st Lieutenant Logan R. Shepard. And sir, if you’re going to go with the juvenile nicknames, 1st Lieutenant’s are commonly referred to as ‘Hershey bars’. Sir.” Shepard added the "Sir" with sincere authority.

“Shepard. I’ve heard of you.” Bergman grabbed Shepard’s file from the stack. “Former pro-Earth gang member. Enlisted at 18. Made Sergeant in near-record time. Survived the Skyllian Blitz. Passed up promotion to transfer to the Navy and attend Naval Officer School. Graduated top of your class. Only one of 3 officers to graduate with 1st Lieutenant rank.” Bergman slammed the file down on his desk. “Now, 1st Lieutenant Shepard, what makes you qualified to lead this platoon?” Bergman leaned on the desk with his fists as he stared at Shepard.

“Sir. I’m the only one here that’s seen actual combat. I helped organize and rally both the troops and civilians during the Skyllian Blitz. The rest of these officers have never left the safety of their warm beds. From ROTC through Naval Academy and Officer School. The marines in this platoon will not respect them. But they’ll respect me. I may be a Naval Officer now, but I started as a Marine. And once a Marine…” Shepard hesitated for a few seconds to see if Bergman would respond, as she knew Bergman started his career as a Marine. Just like Shepard.

“Always a Marine.” Bergman sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Alright, Shepard. You’ve made your point. The assignment is yours. The rest of you are dismissed.” 

The other officers gave Shepard cold stares as they left the room. The last officer, a 2nd lieutenant, slammed her shoulder into Shepard as she passed causing Shepard to smirk as the officer slammed the door shut.

“Wipe that smirk off your face. You were going to get this assignment anyway. You’re the only one qualified out of that whole lot of stuffed shirts and nepotism. And I wouldn’t make enemies with 2nd Lieutenant Greene. Her father, also a Rear Admiral, has a lot of powerful friends. Both inside and outside the Alliance. Not to mention her family is insanely wealthy.” Bergman motioned for Shepard to join him at his desk.

“I am very familiar with Second Lieutenant Greene”, Shepard began to smirk again, _ “in the biblical sense." _ Shepard raised her eyebrows, clearly adding extra emphasis to the last words.

“Dammit Shepard, I don’t need to know your exploits. But a word of advice for the future, don’t fuck crazy. It will never end well. And I can tell you, the Greene’s do not take rejection or failure well. I wouldn’t be surprised if that came back to bite you in the ass.”

“I’m not concerned about Lieutenant Greene, besides, she’s the one who rejected me. She only wanted someone to fuck to relieve stress. And when that no longer worked, she moved on to someone else. Turns out she should’ve used that extra time and focused more on her training. Only made 2nd Lieutenant. Meanwhile, the discarded ex made top of the class. Not to mention 1st Lieutenant. So I think I’m doing pretty well for myself, all things considered.”

“Just keep your eye on Greene, this is the second time you’ve out done her. That’s not gonna sit well with her.”

“Yes sir. Now, do we have any further intel on the colony?” Shepard changed the subject and moved to retrieve the Akuze files from the Admiral, as he clearly showed signs of discomfort in continuing to talk about Shepard’s former love life. 

“Just what we have now. Everything was running as expected, and then nothing. No warnings, no distress signals. To be perfectly honest, I don’t trust this situation. A colony just doesn’t go dark, especially with comms still intact. Be on your toes, Shepard.”

“Will do, sir.” Bergman handed Shepard all the necessary files before she headed out the door.


	2. Preparations

A mix of excitement and fear swirled through Shepard as she made her way back to her quarters. Less than an hour ago she was just another 1st Lieutenant in a sea of fresh LT’s out of Officer School. Now, thanks to her Marine history, she’s got her own command. One step closer to her own ship. But she was getting ahead of herself, but first she had to get her squads together and figure out what the hell was happening on Azuke. 

By the time Shepard got back to her quarters, stacks of datapads had been delivered, along with a note that read; _ Send orders by end of day. Move out by the end of the week. _ It appears that the Rear Admiral made his choice long before calling that meeting. Now that she had a time limit, Shepard began to go through the datapads, each was a dossier about squads Shepard could recruit for the mission. She began to sort them by main skill. Heavy, recon, and infantry. She also noticed several dossiers for sergeants and privates, and well as medical personnel. Shepard realized these must be for the HQ station that would be required as part of the platoon.

After several hours of eliminating the unwanted squads, Shepard finally had her platoon. Well, minus the HQ roster. But first, she needed to send out the orders to the selected sergeants; Hiromi Toriyama, head of Omaha (Infantry) squad. Erin Crest, head of Rocksteady (Heavy) squad. Antonio DiNuoscio, head of Mohawk (Recon) squad. Shepard reasoned that without knowing what she was getting into, have one of each squad will help cover any potential issues. She sent the same basic notice to each sergeant.

_ 04 April 77 _

_ Sergeant Toriyama/Crest/DiNuoscio, _

_ This is 1st Lieutenant Shepard out of Arcturus Station. This message is to inform you that you are to report to Arcturus Station within the week. Your official order papers should arrive within 24 hours of this message. You will be in charge of Omaha/Rocksteady/Mohawk squad. Further details will be provided in person for security reasons. Just know that this could either be the easiest mission you’ll ever have, or one of the worst. My only request is that you bring the best of the best. I want to be prepared for anything, so I need your best soldiers. I’ll see you in a week. _

_ Semper Fi. _

_ First Lieutenant Logan R. Shepard _

_ Arcturus Station _

_ Alliance Navy fmr. Alliance Marine Corp. _

Orders have been sent. Now to figure out who to staff the HQ with. But first, some food. It was almost fourteen-hundred, Shepard had barely eaten so far today, and the hunger in her stomach had finally made itself known. Standing up and stretching, Shepard began to make her way to the commissary. Shortly after getting off the elevator, Shepard heard a familiar voice call from down the hall.

“Hey_, _ _ First Lieutenant." _The amount of jealousy and anger that came with her rank being spoken was palpable. And without turning around, Shepard instantly knew who it was. 

“How’s it going_, _ _ Second Lieutenant?" _Shepard responded with her usual biting sarcasm as she stopped and turned, seeing 2nd Lieutenant Emma Greene storming up the hall, clear anger in her eyes. 2nd Lieutenant Emma Greene stood half a head shorter than Shepard, had fair skin with deep brown hair, and bright emerald green eyes. “Oooh, big bad Lieutenant Greene, I’m shivering in my over-shined boots like a private during boot camp.”

“Cut your shit sense of humor, Shepard. How did you get that assignment? No way one of your little speeches was enough to convince the Admiral you’re qualified to command.”

“No, it was my service record that did the convincing.” Shepard smiled knowing this would only make Lieutenant Greene more upset. “And watch your tone. You’re speaking to a superior officer.”

“Bullshit. What have you done that I haven’t done?!” Greene was starting to stomp like a toddler. Shepard was trying to avoid laughing, it was harder than she’d thought it’d be.

“Do you want the full list, or the greatest hits? You know what, I’ll just give you the hits. First; I’ve actually _ seen _ combat. When was the last time you fired your weapon outside of the shooting range? I’m guessing never. Second; I helped lead a group of civilians and soldiers on a counterattack against Batarian forces during the Skyllian Blitz. Meanwhile, you spent that shore leave on a yacht with your rich friends.” Lieutenant Greene suddenly turned white at the mention of the Skyllian Blitz. “Oh yeah, did you think I would forget all the things you told me in confidence?” Shepard leaned in close to Lieutenant Greene. Close enough to whisper, “Consider our former relationship my ‘ace in the hole’ against any revenge you might have planned_, E__mma__.”_ Using Lieutenant Greene’s given name clearly broke whatever foundation she had been standing on, along with whatever manipulation she had planned, as she dropped her head and shoulders, clearly defeated.

“It’s not fair. Why can I never beat you. I know I’m better than you…” Lieutenant Greene rambled under her breath until Shepard could no longer hear what she was saying, even at arm's length. 

_ The only thing you’re better at than me is breaking people’s hearts; _ is what Shepard wanted to say, but she knew she’d already won. Even Emma Greene didn’t deserve to have shit rubbed in her wounds. “Listen, I know you have Atlas levels of pressure on your shoulders thanks to your family’s legacy. But you should focus on what _ you _ want. What goals do you have in the military?” Shepard didn’t trust that she wasn’t being manipulated, but she still genuinely cared about Emma, even after everything that’s happened.

“W-what?” Lieutenant Greene stuttered as she wiped her eyes of the tears that had suddenly began to run.

“What do you want out of the Alliance? What are _ your goals?" _Shepard lifted Lieutenant Greene’s chin and met her eye to eye. “Not the ones daddy set for you, but what do _ you _ want to achieve out of your career?” There was a long delay as Emma laid her head on Shepard’s shoulder and began to cry. Shepard, still not trusting the situation, was acutely aware of where Lieutenant Greene’s hands were. She’d make sure to check for bugs later. 

“I...I want to lead my own ship. I want to be out in space. I don’t want to be stuck in some backwater station pushing paperwork until I meet ‘a nice guy’. I don’t even like men! Let alone that I would even want to breed with them.” The tears in Lieutenant Greene’s eyes began to flow even harder as she let loose the floodgates of her emotions. Clearly Shepard had struck some kind of nerve. Either that, Lieutenant Greene was a fantastic actress. “If my father wanted to preserve his legacy, he should have tried having sons! No, I will no longer be a pawn in my father’s quest to push our legacy in to the history books of the Alliance. You’re right Shepard, I should focus on _ my _ goals. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a vid-call to my father.” Lieutenant Greene began to walk away, after several steps she turned back towards Shepard. “Again, sorry for acting like such a child. I’ve never really been able to handle not getting what I wanted. And if it means anything, I’m sorry for…” Lieutenant Greene paused, the words clearly stuck in her throat. But Shepard knew what she was gonna say, and cut her off before she could finish.

“It’s okay, Emma. I know you didn’t really mean anything you said back then out of actual malice.” Shepard began walking away, after a few steps, turned around and called out; “Hey, if you ever wanna get a drink, as friends, you know where I am.” Shepard honestly meant it. It also wouldn’t hurt to keep a close eye on Lieutenant Greene. 

“Thanks, Shepard. I might take you up on that. It’d be nice to have an actual friend here. I’ll see you around.” Lieutenant Greene turned away from Shepard, and after a few moments, rounded the corner and was gone. 

About 2 hours later, after a decent meal from the commissary, a couple of beers, Shepard returned to her office to look through her clothes for bugs, as well as sort through the remaining dossiers for her platoon. The sergeants would take care of their respective squads. However, as a platoon commander, hiring the staff of the headquarters squad is solely up to Shepard.

Shepard proceeded to check her shirt and pants for any potential bugs that Lieutenant Greene might have planted. After being satisfied that there weren’t any,

“Okay, what positions are left? Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant, some privates to serve as gophers, and medical personnel.” Shepard sorted the remaining dossiers by rank. It took Shepard several more hours to eliminate the remaining unwanted dossiers. Finally done, Shepard listed out her headquarters, as well as the squad staff.

_ Headquarters: _

_ Platoon Commander - 1st Lieutenant Logan Shepard _

_ Platoon Sergeant - Gunnery Sergeant Richard Blust _

_ Platoon Guide - Sergeant Robin Jackson. _

_ Messengers - Private First Class Alexandria Odem, Private Parker Wright, Private James Livingston _

_ Medical - Lieutenant Jean McCoy, Lieutenant First Grade John Cox _

_ Enlisted Squad Leaders: _

_ Omaha Squad - Sergeant Hiromi Toriyama _

_ Rocksteady Squad - Sergeant Erin Crest _

_ Mohawk Squad - Sergeant Antonio DiNuoscio _

Breathing a sigh of relief as she hit send on the final order, Shepard looked at the clock on her desk to see that it was almost twenty-one hundred. Shepard had been working on this for 12 hours. And again, Shepard failed to notice that she was starving. Tunnel vision had a way of doing that to her. Shepard stood, stretched her slowing stiffening body, and made her way to the commissary for a late night snack. 

On her way back to her room, Shepard noticed Rear Admiral Bergman speaking with an officer she didn’t recognize. As she approached them, she caught some of their conversation.

“--might be Cerberus. No concrete evidence, and doesn’t fit their MO, but --” The unknown officer cut his sentence short when he noticed Shepard.

“Evening, Admiral.” Shepard noticed the gold leaf on the uniform of the other officer, “Evening, Lieutenant Commander…”

“Estevez.” The Lieutenant Commander stood about the same height as the Admiral, had soft Caucasian facial features with shoulder length brown hair that had been combed back. His voice while soft, radiated confidence. Shepard guessed that Lieutenant Commander Estevez had never had any issues with getting respect from his troops. “Is there a reason you’re up at this hour, Lieutenant?” It was clear that he knew that Shepard heard something, and he didn’t like it.

“Just grabbed a small snack from the commissary. Which reminds me, Admiral,” Shepard turned to fact Admiral Bergman. “All orders for the next deployment have been sent. We’ll be ready to head out by the end of the week.”

“Good to hear, Lieutenant. Now if you’ll excuse us, the Commander and I have some things to discuss further.” With that the Admiral and Commander turned away from Shepard and walked towards the commissary. Shepard shrugged and made her way back to her quarters. She thought about looking more into who this “Cerberus” group was, but she decided it was best to not dig into something she shouldn’t. Besides, she needed some sleep, it had been a long day. When Shepard finally got into bed a few moments later, she was asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow.


	3. Respect

The next few days went by without any issues. Sergeant Hiromi Toriyama eventually arrived early Wednesday morning with her entire squad. Sergeant Toriyama was of East Asian descent, stood just short of five feet tall, and as former Olympic powerlifter she was built like a tank. Due to the unique combination of her short stature and muscular build, Sgt. Toriyama radiated toughness and confidence. Not even the most brutish soldiers in her squad would dare cross her. Due to this, Sgt. Toriyama immediately had Shepard’s respect.

“Welcome to Arcturus Station, Sergeant Toriyama.” Shepard returned the Sergeant’s salute and extended her hand as Sgt. Toriyama made her way off the transport.

“Greetings, Lieutenant Shepard.” Sgt. Toriyama shook Shepard’s hand with the intent to get Shepard to flinch. However, Shepard was prepared for this and returned the handshake with the same force, earning Sgt. Toriyama’s respect in turn. “I trust your soldiers will handle transferring my squads equipment?” Shepard noticed that the Sergeant didn’t speak within any outward accent. Unexpected, as Sgt. Toriyama was born and raised on mainland Japan. Shepard thought that the sergeant must have taken extra care to remove her accent to avoid any possible issues with being misunderstood or possible prejudice. After this thought, Shepard motioned to the docking bay entrance and began to walk with the Sergeant.

“They will, and your squad is more than welcome to help them if they’d prefer. Another lieutenant should be here shortly to provide your squad with their temporary sleeping quarters as well.” Just as Shepard and Toriyama made it to the docking bay entrance, the doors parted open as Second Lieutenant Greene walked through.

“Lieutenant Greene, what brings you down to the docking bay?” Shepard asked quizzically, seeing as Lt. Greene was normally a desk jockey and paper pusher.

“Rear Admiral Bergman’s orders. I’m to help find quarters for our guests for the week. I’m to report directly to you or him in the meantime.” 

“Very well then. Sergeant, this is Second Lieutenant Greene, it looks like she’ll be handling the logistics of finding lodging for our platoon while we wait to deploy. And Lieutenant, this is Sergeant Toriyama, head of Omaha squad.” Greene and Toriyama saluted each other and shook hands. “If there’s nothing else you need from me at the moment, I will be giving the Sergeant a quick tour of the station..”

“No, Lieutenant. I’m good at the moment. Sergeant, once I have your room location I will forward it to your omni-tool. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting back to work. Have a good day ladies.” Lieutenant Greene saluted Shepard and headed toward the transport ship while Shepard and Sgt. Toriyama headed out of the docking bay and headed toward the elevators down the hall.

“That girl needs to get laid. Haven’t seen someone that uptight since my last XO with his pet Lieutenant shoved up his ass.” 

“Yeah, she’s had a rough go since becoming a Lieutenant. Also probably trying to show the Admiral she knows what she’s doing.” Shepard didn’t hide the softness in her voice as well as she thought, because Sgt. Toriyama immediately called it out.

“I’ll be damned. You totally fucked her, didn’t you? Workplace romances can be a real bitch, can’t they?” Sgt. Toriyama began to laugh as they stepped into the elevator. Shepard did not find this as amusing as the Sergeant.

“Dammit.” Shepard sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she continued. “Yes, I was involved with Lt. Greene for a short time during officer school. It did not end well. After a heated and tearful argument a few days ago, we’ve managed to patch things up between us. At least I think so. She was a great friend, and lover, to be quite honest. That was before the poison of success got into her head, anyway.”

“If you need someone to slap some sense into her, I’d gladly help.” Sgt. Toriyama cracked her knuckles and smiled. She clearly enjoyed the thought of slapping the sense into Lt. Greene, or probably anybody for that matter.

“At ease, Sergeant. No one needs to be slapped around. For now. But I’ll definitely keep you in mind if I need some extra muscles.” Shepard clearly understood why the Sergeant was in charge of her own squad. A few moments later Shepard and Sgt. Toriyama stepped out of the elevator and made their way down toward the commissary. 

“First stop is the commissary for some food. We have pretty much anything you could want. Some of the best chefs in the Alliance work here. So you know the food is good, at least.” 

“Oh, good. I’m fucking starving. I’ve had nothing but protein rations for the last few weeks. Now let’s eat.”

Shepard spent the next hour or so watching Sgt. Toriyama eat enough food for at least three people. When the Sergeant was finally done continued with the tour. Shepard showed off the work out facility first, as this would probably interest the Sergeant more than anything else. During the tour of the workout facility, Sgt. Toriyama received her quarters location from Lt. Greene.

“Why don’t I show you where your quarters are, you seem like you’re ready to hit those weights.”

“After all that food I ate, I’m definitely ready to burn it off.”

Shepard escorted Sgt. Toriyama to her quarters, leaving her there to unpack and prep for her workout. Shepard then began making her way back to her own quarters to send messages to the remaining Sergeants requesting updates on their progress to the station.

Shortly after lunch Shepard received a reply from Sergeant DiNuoscio stating he would be at the station within the hour. Shepard sent a message to Lt. Greene alerting her that the Sergeant was on his way and to have the docking bay cleared by then. Shepard then made her way back to the docking bay to help prep for the Sergeant’s arrival.

When Shepard arrived at the docking bay a few minutes later, the last of Sgt. Toriyama’s crew were leaving with their gear. The bay was clear as the transport ship had left after all cargo had been unloaded. Shepard made her way over to Lt. Greene to get a status update on Sgt. DiNuoscio’s arrival.

“Afternoon, Lieutenant. Any update on Sgt. DiNuoscio?” Lieutenant Greene was checking in some crates of grenades and didn’t look up to answer Shepard.

“Yes, ETA is now about 20 minutes. Docking bay is prepped and ready for his arrival. These last few crates of grenades will be making their way to the docking bay where your transport ships will be disembarking. Also, I’ve already had the quarters for the remaining crews and Sergeants prepared. If you’d like, I can have some PFC report up and escort the Sergeants so you don’t have to deal with them past introductions.”

“Appreciate the offer, but I think it’s best if I get to know my sergeants a bit before we head out. So how did it go with Sgt. Toriyama’s crew?”

“Yeah, they definitely didn’t like having anyone else handle their gear and equipment. One of the Corporal’s made that very clear. Toombs, I believe his name was. I’d keep an eye on him. Seems a bit..unstable.”

“Yeah, most marines are like that though. We’re very protective of our gear. Especially if it’s not Alliance reg. Don’t take it personally.”

“Oh, I didn’t. But I let him know that I wouldn’t take any of his shit. After all, I’m still a lieutenant. Begrudgingly got a _ ‘Yes, ma’am’ _ out of him, though.” Lt. Greene finally looked up from her datapad and gave Shepard a playful elbow in the ribs.

“Great. I’m sure I’ll hear all about that.” Shepard joked as she rolled her eyes and returned the elbow nudge.

Lt. Shepard and Lt. Greene continued to chat until they saw the transport ship slowly makes its way into the docking bay.

“Welp, better go meet Sergeant Number Two. I’ll let you know if I need anything.” Shepard then made her way over just as Sgt. DiNuoscio was walking down the ramp from the ship. Sergeant Antonio DiNuoscio was a six-foot-six, olive-skinned, greasy black haired man with a thick Italian accent. As Lt. Shepard attempted to greet Sgt. DiNuoscio, he cut Shepard off.

“I’m looking for Lieutenant Shepard. Could you tell me where he is_, __signora?" _Sgt. DiNuoscio barely even looked at her long enough to notice her name tag. Shepard took a deep breath as she realized she was gonna have to bring this _ stronzo _ down a peg or two. 

“Certainly. Just a moment.” A devilish smile crept across Shepard’s face as she turned and grabbed the nearest male Sergeant. “Sergeant Blust, could you do me a favor and point Sergeant DiNuoscio here toward Lieutenant Shepard?” Shepard made a circular motion with her finger that ended with her pointing at herself.

“No problem, Lieutenant.” Sergeant Blust picked up exactly what Shepard was trying to do. “Sergeant DiNuoscio, if you’d follow me please.” Sgt. Blust led Sgt. DiNuoscio around the docking bay for a few moments before leading him right back to the transport ship, and an awaiting Lt. Shepard.

“What is the meaning of..” Shepard cut off Sgt. DiNuoscio before he could continue his rant.

“Greetings Sergeant DiNuoscio, I’m 1st Lieutenant Logan Shepard.” Shepard’s voice was even, with no sign of anger or malice. “Now, before we go any further, let’s discuss your attitude. First, I don’t know what twentieth century pit you crawled out of, but you will give me the respect that is due to me by my rank. Second, you will drop this misogynistic attitude, treat _ every _ member of this platoon with the same respect you show me or I will jettison you out of the nearest airlock_, _ _ capisci? _And third, you owe me a salute_, __Sergeant." _The same devilish smile came across Shepard’s face as she noticed a small crowd had gathered behind the Sergeant. 

Sergeant DiNuoscio seemed to have noticed the crowd as well, he visibly swallowed his pride and saluted Lieutenant Shepard. “Yes, ma’am. Lieutenant.” After Shepard returned the salute, Sgt. DiNuoscio’s head dropped as he avoided eye contact with Lt. Shepard. As well as the gathered crowd.

“Oh, Sergeant, I’ve forwarded the location of your quarters to your omni-tool. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it on your own. Have a good day.” Shepard motions toward the docking bay door, clearly signaling for Sgt. DiNuoscio to leave.

_“Si, _Lieutenant.” Sgt. DiNuoscio saluted Shepard, turned and headed out of the docking bay with a few of his men. 

“That was amazing. Glad you slapped some respect into him. Metaphorically speaking, of course.” 2nd Lieutenant Greene elated as she walked through the now dissipating crowd.

“I’m just amazed people have that kind of attitude still. You’d think women have done enough over the centuries to have earned mutual respect from men. But anyway, more importantly do you have any news on when Sgt. Crest will arrive?”

“Yes, I do. Her transport ship is due tomorrow afternoon. The shuttle had some engine trouble before taking off and it delayed them about 12 hours. I took the liberty of telling them to push the delay further so they didn’t show up at oh-three-hundred. Figured that would be best for all parties.” 

“Thank you, Emma. Tomorrow morning is perfect. See that Sgt. DiNuoscio’s crew gets their gear unloaded and transferred to the launch bay. Once they’re done, you can take the rest of the evening off.”

“Will do, Shepard.” Lt. Greene turned and began barking orders at Sgt. DiNuoscio’s men to get their gear unloaded. Shepard chuckled and smiled as she headed out of the docking bay and toward her quarters. 

Arriving at her quarters a few moments later, Shepard lazily undressed as she made her way to her bed. Glad to be out of her dress uniform, Shepard reached up and turned on her stereo as she closed her eyes and relaxed. The sounds of soft guitars, steady drums, and melodic vocals flowed around the room, easing Shepard into a state of tranquility. Shepard had always enjoyed the sounds of the classic rock and metal music from the mid-20th century, going back to her youth with the Reds. As the classic rock continued on, Shepard drifted off toward a much needed afternoon nap.


	4. Resurgence

After a few hours, Shepard was suddenly woken up by the sound of someone knocking on her door, as well as ringing the doorbell. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Shepard noticed it was just passed sixteen-hundred hours. She’d been asleep for almost four hours. A lot longer than she planned, meanwhile the knocking and bell ringing continued.

“Yeah yeah. Just a minute.” Shepard lazily made her way to the door, forgetting to get dressed while in her post-nap haze. Shepard opened the door only to see a suddenly blushing Lt. Greene on the other side. 

“Hey, Shepard. I didn’t mean to wake you. Just wanted to see if you would be up for getting some drinks since we’re both off-duty.” Lt. Greene could barely keep eye contact with Shepard as she spoke, either because Shepard was in her underwear, of which she was just now aware; Or Lt. Greene was nervous about asking Shepard out to what she believed was a date. “But if you don’t want to that’s fine, I just…” Emma’s voice trailed off as she continued to talk. Shepard realized this wasn’t the uptight, work-focused Lt. Greene that had been a thorn in her side since graduating, but the laid back and shy Emma Greene that Shepard had met at the beginning of Officer School.

“No no, it’s fine. I should probably have been getting up anyway. Come on in while I get dressed. Probably not a good idea to show up to the commissary in your bra and panties.” Shepard headed back into her room as she waved Emma inside. “So what’s with the blushing? It’s not like you haven’t seen me in my underwear before.” Shepard asked jokingly as she grabbed her dress uniform off the floor and headed toward her closet.

“I..I just forgot how great you looked and I wasn’t expecting it.” Emma turned toward Shepard as she was putting away her dress blues. “Although, I can say I definitely missed the view.” Emma smirked as she looked Shepard up and down.

“Play your cards right and you might get more than just a view.” Shepard seductively joked as she grabbed a pair of standard crew pants, a black t-shirt, and a zip-up hoodie from the closet.

“Don’t tease me. You know I hate being teased.” Emma had sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms.

“If memory serves me, you also enjoy being teased as well.” Shepard smirked as she finished pulling her t-shirt on. 

“Yeah well...I’m not in the mood for it right now. Maybe after a few drinks.”

“Well then, let’s go get those drinks.” Shepard threw on her hoodie as her and Emma headed down to the Officer’s Club.

“So how did that call with your father go? Never did get a chance to talk to you about it.” Shepard asked as they waited for the elevator.

“It...did not go well.” Emma dropped her head as she started to cry. “I told him I had no plans to stay on Arcturus Station as a glorified secretary. I told him I would captain my own ship. I even told him I was gay and that I had no plans to sire or adopt any children. I think that was the worst part for him. Knowing that when I die, the Greene name will die with me.” Shepard put her arm around Emma shoulders as they made their way into the elevator.

“Hey, it’s alright. You said what you needed to say. If your father still can’t see the courage that it took to stand up to him, well then that’s his problem.” Shepard lifted Emma’s face and wiped her tears. “I guarantee that one day you’ll be the captain of your own ship. You’re too stubborn and hard-headed to not be. But for now, let’s dry those tears, and drink until we can’t feel feelings anymore.”

“That sounds like a blast. First round is on me.” Emma wiped her eyes, and checked her makeup in the reflection of the steel elevator door. “I’m definitely ready to drink.”

A short time later, Shepard and Emma entered the Officer’s Club. A private bar that only commissioned officers were allowed to enter. The bar looked no different than the enlisted bar or the commissary, which were decorated in normal colors of the Alliance; steel, white, cobalt blue, and gold.

“So glad we finally have our own bar. No more getting hit on by every grunt that sees me.” Emma ordered two beers for her and Shepard. “You still like lagers, right?”

“Glad you remembered. Nothing better than an ice cold lager after a hard day.” Shepard lifted her beer and toasted Emma.

“Hard day of napping maybe. Meanwhile, I spent most of my day getting hard ass marines to unload their crap so the transport ships could take off and clear the dock. Dealing with Sgt. Toriyama’s men was easy though, if I told them to do something, I got a ‘Yes, Lieutenant’, a salute, then whatever I asked for got done. Sgt. DiNuoscio’s men were a completely different story. First, he didn’t have a single female in his squad. Which after meeting him makes complete sense. Second, I spent most of my afternoon threatening to jettison half the fucking squad out the damn hanger because none of them would listen to me. Despite the fact I’m their goddamn superior officer.” Shepard silently drank her beer and listened as Emma continued her rant about the marine squads.

“Third, despite the known rules of fraternization between officers and enlisted soldiers, that didn’t stop almost every member of Sgt. DiNuoscio’s squad from making a pass at me. What is it with privates and the urge to cat call every single piece of ass that walks by?”

“Because they're nothing but a bunch of testosterone pumping, gorilla grunting savages who wouldn’t know beauty and grace if they slapped them in the face.” Shepard finished her beer and ordered another for both her and Emma. “Granted, that doesn’t mean they’re totally worthless. Sometimes you just wanna get your bones jumped by said savages.” Emma cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at Shepard. “What’s that look for?”

“You wanna have sex with men? I thought you said you were a lesbian?” Emma seemed to have a hurtful look on her face as she looked away from Shepard.

“I never said I was a lesbian. I’m bisexual. I just prefer women, as they fulfill both my romantic and sexual needs far more than any man I’ve met so far. My attraction to men has no bearing on my feelings for you. In the past, present, or future. Hell, at this rate I’d be better off dating a turian than a human male. But sometimes, when I’m not in a committed relationship, I like to have sex with men on a purely platonic and sexual level.”

“Why did you never tell me when we were dating? If you never told me about this, then what else didn’t you tell me? What else are you holding out on me?” Emma was on the verge of tears again, and Shepard was not in the mood to have to try and deal with an emotional Emma.

“First off, I did tell you. Numerous times. I never hid or lied about my attraction to men. If you’re upset about it, that’s on you for not taking me seriously when I talked about it. Second, I never held out anything when it came to you. I loved you. I wanted to be more than just friends with benefits. But you would never give me the time of day. Outside of wanting to fuck me, anyway” Shepard turned and started chugging her beer.

“Wait...you  _ loved _ me?” Emma had a stunned look on her face, she clearly had no clue about Shepard’s true feelings. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I tried Emma. Numerous times. You kept ignoring or interrupting me. The last straw was the night before we had  _ ‘broken up’ _ _._ I invited you to one of the fancier restaurants in town. You ditched me to party on your daddy’s yacht with your old friends. I drank and cried myself to sleep that night.” Shepard had begun to cry in earnest now. So much for not dealing with emotions. “The next day I tried to talk to you about it and you told me to lose your number. You told me that you didn't have the time to deal with the  _ ‘emotional baggage _ ’ that came with being more than friends with benefits. You told me to move on. Which I did. By vowing to make sure that I was better than you. Which is how we’re here today.” Shepard wiped her eyes with her sleeve carefully, trying to avoid smearing her eye shadow even more. Shepard ordered another beer, if they were gonna dig up the past any further, she didn’t want to be sober for it.

Emma sat and stared off into the distance, not making eye contact with Shepard, with tears rolling down her cheeks. She tried to speak, but she was afraid that anything she said would make things worse. Eventually Shepard broke the silence.

“You don’t even remember it do you? I’m not surprised. You moved on pretty quickly after you said we were done.” Shepard was almost four beers deep now. The filter she normally kept on to avoid being overtly blunt and hurtful had been removed. Nothing but the purest truth would escape from Shepard’s mind until she sobered up or passed out. “I’m surprised you cared enough to even hold a grudge against me. Although, I’m pretty sure that’s more jealousy than regret.” Shepard finished her beer and asked for another.

“You’re right. I don’t remember ending things with you.” The sadness in her voice has slowly begun to turn into anger. “The only thing I remember from that day was that you came into my room, cried some words, I responded, and then you walked away.” Emma paused as she slowly remembered more details from that day. “After that I..”

“Slept with Trini Huynh?” Shepard cut her off before she could finish whatever she was going to say. 

“Yeah. I slept with Trini.” Emma hung her head in defeat as she finished her beer. Shepard and Emma sat at the bar and didn’t say another word for almost an hour. Shepard has stopped drinking after her sixth beer and had moved on to water. She thought about just going back to her quarters for the night, but something was keeping her at the bar. Eventually, Shepard broke the silence.

“Look, I like you. I want to be friends with you. I just want you to understand that what you did and how you acted broke my heart.” Shepard turned to face Emma as she continued. “We don’t have to keep bringing up the past, as long as we both acknowledge and pledge to do better in the future. So what do you say? Shall we bury the past and move on, as friends?”

“Yeah. I’d like that.” Emma ordered two more beers, handed one to Shepard, and raised the bottles. “To being friends.”

“To being friends.” Shepard and Emma tapped the bottlenecks together and took a drink.

Shepard and Emma spent the next couple of hours eating, drinking, and enjoying each other’s company. Just like they used to during Officer School. Shepard couldn’t help but smile the entire time, as she was glad to have her friend back. Shepard and Emma continued to drink long into the night before eventually leaving the Officer’s Club.

Shepard was groggily awoken the next morning by her alarm. As she rolled over to turn it off, she rolled onto something. Or as she realized when she finally started to wake up,  _ someone . _

“Huh.” Shepard was suddenly very awake when after pulling back the covers she saw, lying naked in her bed, was 2nd Lieutenant Emma Greene.


	5. Aftermath

“So I guess last night wasn’t a dream.” Shepard said to herself as she got out of bed and went to take a shower. Aside from Emma being naked in her bed, the stickiness of Shepard’s thighs provided plenty of other evidence that they indeed did have sex.

Shepard came out a few minutes later, wrapped in a towel and drying her hair. Emma had just started to wake up.

“Morning.” Emma, as she pulled the rest of the covers away and blinked the grogginess out of her eyes, slowly realized she wasn’t wearing any clothes. “Why am I naked? Did we…?” Emma frantically yanked the covers back over herself.

“Unless we both happened to have the same sex dream. I’m afraid we did.” Shepard had gathered Emma’s clothes and set them on the bed. “I’ll go make us some coffee.” Shepard turned and headed back toward her office area to start the coffee.

“So apparently I had more than you did because I don’t remember much after toasting us as friends…” Emma confusingly asked as she began to get dressed. “Could you fill in the blanks? Maybe that’ll jog my memory.”

“So we toasted each other, had a few more drinks, ordered some food. Had some more drinks. Left, or got kicked out of the bar, I’m not sure which. Came back here, started making out and well...I think we know where it went from there.” Shepard was sitting in her office chair facing back toward the bed. The smell of fresh coffee began to permeate the room as Shepard continued. “The coffee is still gonna be a few minutes. Why don’t you grab a shower while it finishes?”

“Yeah, a shower would be a good idea. Definitely don’t wanna walk around all day like this.” Emma gestured toward her crotch and thighs, clearly suffering from the same issue of sweaty and sticky thighs that Shepard had woken up to.

By the time Emma got out of the shower, the coffee had finished and Shepard was dressed and waiting with a fresh cup.

“Thanks, babe.” Emma grabbed the coffee, took a small sip and made her way to the bed where Shepard had laid out her clothes. “ I better hurry up and get dressed. Sergeant Crest should be here soon. Wait, what time is it?” Emma sounded a bit panicked as she asked the time.

“It’s barely oh-seven hundred. Pretty sure we’ve got time. Now relax, get dressed, and enjoy your coffee. I’ll call down to the docking bay and see if they’ve heard anything from the transport ship.” Shepard went over to her desk and called the docking bay via her omni-tool as Emma continued to get dressed.

“Well, any word from Sgt. Crest?” Emma had just pulled on her shirt as Shepard disconnected from the Docking Bay office.

“They’ll be here at approximately oh-nine hundred. We’ve got a couple hours. So finish getting ready and we can grab some breakfast on our way down to the Docking Bay.”

Shepard and Emma arrived at the Docking Bay about forty-five minutes later, having barely spoken since leaving Shepard’s quarters. As they entered, a Corporal came up to let them know that the transport ship had radioed in a few moments before. The ships expected arrival time was now about 20 minutes out. While they waited, Shepard was hoping to keep busy in order to avoid talking about what had happened the previous night. Unfortunately, Emma was clearly game to talk about what happened.

“Hey Shepard, since we’ve got a bit, can we talk...you know...about last night?” Emma was trying to keep her voice down to avoid rousing suspicion with the enlisted soldiers. 

“Emma, we’re officers. We’re allowed to fraternize. Relax.” Shepard was really beginning to regret taking Emma up on her offer of drinks. She didn’t want this to turn into anything...major.

“Right. So what I’m asking is...what’s up with us?” Emma spun her hand in a circular gesture, as she looked at Shepard with questioning eyes. Shepard did not appreciate being put on the spot like this, especially in public.

“I don’t know, Emma. Haven’t given it much thought other than ‘We’ve cleared the drama between us, got drunk, and had sex.’ And I don’t plan on giving it much more thought than that until after my mission.” Shepard’s voice was calm, but stern. She was making it  _ abundantly clear _ that she had no interest in discussing their relationship at this moment.

“Oh. I guess that’s fair. I kinda just show back up out of nowhere, pour my heart out to you, get drunk with you, have sex with you..” Shepard cut Emma off before she could go any further.

“That’s enough, Lieutenant. I already said I didn’t want to discuss it right now.” Shepard had turned and stared at Emma right in the eyes. “But if it’ll give you some piece of mind, we can talk about it more tonight. My quarters, twenty. But after tonight, I won’t discuss it again until after the mission. Understood?”

“Understood.” Emma looked hopeful, yet defeated. She trailed off and began barking orders as some sergeants to clear some boxes of supplies from the landing zone. Shepard thought that she might have been a bit too tough with Emma, but she needed to understand that there’s a time and place to discuss certain things. And right before a mission, even a routine colony check, wasn’t always the best time.

Sergeant Crest arrived about 15 minutes later, and as she stepped off the transport ship it was clear she was not happy for the delay in arrival.

“I’m looking for a Lieutenant Shepard.” Sergeant Erin Crest stood around five-foot-eight, with freckled tawny-beige skin, deep reddish-brown curly hair, and spoke in a fading South Boston accent. Several burn scars, ranging in size and severity, could be seen on her arms and face. 

“Greetings, Sgt. Crest. I’m First Lieutenant Shepard. This is 2nd Lt. Greene. She’ll be handling the logistics of transferring your crew and supplies from the transport to the station. She’ll also be handling your accommodations as well.”

“Fantastic. Again, apologies about the delay. Piece of shit, second rate engine crapped out on us just as we were taking off.” Sgt. Crest turned and spit toward the transport ship. “I swear, these Alliance ships are getting shittier by the year. Anyway, would you mind showing me to the commissary. I’m fucking starvin’.”

“I’ll take you there. Lt. Greene will stay here and help unload the transport. She’ll also forward the location of your quarters to you and your troops.” Shepard motioned for Sgt. Crest to follow her to the elevators. “So we plan on heading out late tomorrow. Should be to Akuze by early-Saturday.”

“Where exactly is Akuze anyway?” 

“Voyager Cluster, Seine System. It’s one of 3 orbiting bodies in the system. The other two are a dwarf planet and a gas giant. Rich in resources, but uninhabitable.”

“So way off on the edge of Alliance space then?”

“Yup. Supposed to be one of our furthest colonies. Right on the border of the Alliance and the Traverse.”

“My guess is probably god damn slavers or pirates attacked the colony. Especially being so close to the Traverse.”

“Won’t know until we get there.” Shepard and Sgt. Crest arrived at the commissary a few moments later. 

“Not sure why you’re bringing me along, Lieutenant. Don’t think they’ll be much use for a heavy squad on what seems like a recon mission.”

“I have no idea what we’re gonna find there. I’d rather be over-prepared than under. Look at the bright side, if this turns out to be nothing it’ll be the easiest assignment ever. Basically paid R&R.” Shepard and Sgt. Crest stepped off the elevator and continued on toward the commissary. 

“If it’s all the same, I’d rather be able to blow something up. After all, that’s one of the only things I’m great at.”

“Speaking of, how did you get so good with explosives?”

“Dad owned and worked in munitions manufacturing. I’d steal supplies every so often and would just tinker with new designs. Accidentally blew up a warehouse once, nearly died in the ensuing fire.” Sgt. Crest motioned toward her scars and shrugged as if this wasn’t unusual or out of the ordinary. 

“Yeah, I saw that in your file.” Shepard and Sgt. Crest had made their way to the commissary and were grabbing breakfast as Sgt. Crest continued.

“That’s what landed me in the military. It was either that or prison. And no way was I gonna end up like my asshole of a mother. So I took my love for explosives and applied myself in the military. If I have my way, I’ll be doing this until I’m fuckin’ blind and senile. Or I blow myself straight up to Heaven. For real this time. You know, whichever comes first.” Sgt. Crest shrugged again as she made her way down the food line. Taking as much meat and potatoes as allowed. 

“How did the Alliance hear about you blowing up a warehouse? A bit small time for the military to get involved with.” Shepard filled her plate as her and Sgt. Crest moved down the line.

“The warehouse was owned by the military. It wasn’t in use, but when someone blows up military property, they tend to take notice. Spent a few months in the hospital, followed by some time in lock-up, but eventually the military cut me a deal. Was a no-brainer really.” Shepard and Sgt. Crest had finished getting their food and walked around the commissary trying to find a table. It was busier than usual as there was an extra platoon now on base.Shepard and Sgt. Crest sat down at the first table with some space.

“So I noticed that 2nd Lieutenant giving you the look there, Shepard. Anything going on there?” Sgt. Crest had a slight smirk as she began to eat her breakfast.

“Yeah, we’ve got a history. Friends with benefits in officer school, she ended it when I wanted something more. Not that she really remembers what happened anyway.” Sadness began to creep into Shepard’s voice as she continued. “She slept around more and basically forgot I existed, meanwhile I focused on becoming the best officer in the class. After graduation we avoided each other as much as possible.”

“Sounds like you got the better end of that deal. Besides, you two seem to be pretty friendly with each other now. I take it you made up?”

“Yeah, after I got the Akuze assignment, she confronted me. After I basically gave her a dressing down, she just broke down and confided in me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate it. Since then...we’ll let’s just say it’s good to have an old friend back.”

“You are sly as hell, LT. You totally slept with her, didn’t you?” Sgt. Crest laughed as she continued eating.

“Is it that obvious?” Shepard asked, unconcerned if it actually was.

“No, but that response definitely confirms it though.”

Shepard chuckled, rolled her eyes and focused on her breakfast. After a few minutes Shepard noticed some privates calling toward Sgt. Crest and trying to get her attention.

“I see some of your crew are waving to you.” Shepard pointed toward the table the privates were sitting at.

“Man, they can be enthusiastic sometimes.” Sgt. Crest waved to her crew before resuming her breakfast.

“Do you wanna go join your crew? They seemed a bit disappointed you’re not coming over.” Shepard had already finished her breakfast and was eager to avoid any further conversation regarding Emma.

“Figured they’d be sick of me after being stuck in a small ass barrack and transport ship for over a day. Anyway, good to meet you, Shepard. I look forward to the mission. See ya.” Sgt. Crest saluted Shepard then made her way over to the rest of her crew. Shepard could hear the elation coming from the table as she left and headed back to her quarters. 

Shepard kept herself busy for the rest of the day to avoid thinking about her upcoming conversation with Emma. Unfortunately, twenty hours showed up regardless of what Shepard did. Shortly after her omni-tool chimed to remind her of the time, the doorbell for her quarters went off. “Come in.” Shepard took a deep breath as she prepared herself.

“Hey. How’d your day of paperwork go?” Emma came in and sat down on the bed. Shepard noticed she was still wearing her normal uniform.

“It’s paperwork. So I feel like I’ve had my soul sucked from my body.” Shepard started stacking the datapads on her desk, she would finish these tomorrow. “Okay, well I guess we should just jump right into this.”

“Yeah, I guess so…” There were a few moments of silence before Shepard finally spoke.

“What are you looking for out of this?” Shepard had gotten up and moved to sit next to Emma on the bed.

“I…” Emma hesitated as she tried to find the words that would best convey what she was thinking and feeling. After a minute or so of silence, Emma continued. “I need to confess something...a few days ago when I confronted you about getting the Akuze assignment, while everything I said was true, it was tainted by ulterior motives. I planned on getting close to you, to try and find something_, _ _ anything _ _,_ I could use to get ahead of you. I even planted a bug on you. But then...you kept being nice to me. You told me things I  _ needed _ to hear, versus what I wanted to hear. You said sweet and kind things about me, regardless of whatever I did in the past. And I thought _'_ _ no one is this naive’, _ that’s when I realized you were being one-hundred percent genuine.” Emma looked over at Shepard, who was smiling. “Wha... why…why are you smiling? I just confessed to spying on you!”

“Emma.” Shepard pulled the bug from out of her pocket and handed it to Emma. “I knew you bugged me. Everything I said alone in my quarters and away from you was carefully planned. I wanted you to know that if you take away the jealousy and anger, you’re a very sweet, kind, and loving person. But your own need for success, as well as the pressure of serving your father’s legacy, corrupted you with near irredeemable amounts of jealousy.” Shepard grabbed hold of Emma’s hands and looked her in the eyes. “I needed you to see and hear the things that made me fall in love with you. Even if nothing romantic ever came of it, I hoped it would be enough to make you my friend again.”

Emma lowered her eyes and stared at her hands, which were gently being held by Shepard. She looked back up at Shepard to see her blue-grey eyes looking at her with kindness and hope. Even after everything she had put Shepard through over the last year, Shepard still loved her. Emma wasn’t sure what made her feel worse, the fact that Shepard never stopped loving her, or that she never bothered to notice until now. “Shepard…” And before either of them knew what was happening, Emma had lunged herself at Shepard and began to passionately kiss her.


	6. Unease

For the second morning in a row, Shepard woke up with Emma Greene naked in her bed. _ How the hell does this keep happening? _Shepard thought to herself as she turned off her alarm and got out of bed. Unlike the first time, which Shepard attributed to the copious amounts of alcohol, both of them were stone cold sober. 

“What time is it?” Emma had groggily asked she began to sit up. 

“Oh-seven-hundred.” Shepard had began to pick up her clothes that had been scattered around her quarters. “I leave for Akuze in about twelve hours.”

“Right. I should get going, I’ve got to get the transport dock prepared. I’ll see you later. Maybe try and meet up for a quick bite if we have time before you head off?” Emma was almost completely dressed as she headed toward the door.

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll see ya later.” Shepard strode over to Emma and kissed her. “If we don’t, dinner date first night I’m back.”

“Deal.” Emma waved as the door slid shut behind her.

The day went by faster than Shepard expected, which means she didn’t have time to meet up with Emma before she had to take off. Shepard was working on loading her gear onto the transport ship when Admiral Bergman came walking into the docking bay, Emma right behind him. 

“Good evening, Lieutenant. Update on the mission. I’m assigning 2nd Lieutenant Greene to your platoon. She’ll continue her duties during the mission, acting as your liaison to the Sergeants and their marines. You were right earlier, Shepard. The other officers need field time, and this is a good time for it. Let them get their feet wet on what is probably just equipment malfunction. Well, I’ve got nothing further so I’ll leave you be to finish loading up.” Shepard saluted the Admiral, which he returned and began to walk away. After a few steps Admiral Bergman turned, “Oh, and try and get me a status report within the first twelve hours of landing. Even if it’s short. Wanna let the other brass know if we need to be concerned.”

“Yes, Admiral. I’ll get you a report ASAP after we’ve done our initial recon.” Nodding his head, the Admiral turned and walked out of the dock.

“Well, guess I finally get to see some field work.” Emma was grinning ear to ear. Shepard definitely thought that Emma had used her family name to get added to the roster for this mission. Even if that were true, Shepard had no plans to bring it up.

“Guess so. Quick ground rules, limit PDA while on duty. I don’t care if people know, I just don’t want to flaunt it around. Stay formal when around the Sergeants and marines. Other than that, I think we’re good. But, let me finish loading my gear and then we’ll grab a bite.” Shepard had resumed loading her gear before Emma had a chance to respond. It took Shepard another twenty minutes to finish loading her gear.

“While you were doing that, it looks like all gear and supplies are loaded.” While Shepard was loading her gear, Emma confirmed with the other Sergeants that their gear had been loaded as well. “Just about ready for takeoff. It’s currently seventeen-thirty. Think we have time for a quick bite?” 

“Let me check.” Shepard messaged the pilot of the _ SSV Cincinnatus, _a dreadnought-sized carrier vessel. “Hey Flight Lieutenant, how long until you take off?”

“About two hours. I wanna be ready for take off by nineteen hundred.”

“Thanks, Flight Lieutenant...what was the name again?”

“Moreau. I’m the best damn pilot in the galaxy. One of these days I’m gonna fly something more exciting than a glorified taxi cab.” Shepard immediately thought this guy was completely full of himself, and possibly filled with delusions of grandeur. 

“Well, if you’re as good as you think you are, some advice; If people don’t listen, find a way to make them listen. Confidence, skill, and a little bit of luck can go a long way. You take care, Moreau.” Shepard signaled for Emma to rejoin her. “Hey, I need you to send a message to everyone in my platoon. All staff and support are to be on board by eighteen hundred. And if we want that bite, we better get it now.”

The quick dinner-date and the pre-flight checks went off without any issues. Shortly after nineteen hundred, the _ SSV Cincinnatus _ took off from Arcturus Station toward the Voyager Cluster. The relay jumps would only take a couple of hours. It was the intra-cluster flight that would take the bulk of the trip. The relay for the Voyager Cluster was in the Amazon system, while Akuze was in the Seine system. It would be around a twelve-to-thirteen hour flight. Barring any issues, the ship should arrive between oh-seven-hundred and oh-eight-hundred.

By the time Shepard had finished making the rounds with her unit and got back to her quarters, it was almost twenty-two hundred. It had been a long day. Shepard’s quarters were much smaller than her apartment on Arcturus Station. But she still had her own personal shower at least. After stripping to her underwear, Shepard laid down on the surprisingly comfortable bed and debated whether to call Emma or not. On one hand, she’d love to have some company. On the other hand, she really just wanted some alone time so she could get some sleep. After about twenty minutes, Shepard decided it would be best to get some rest. Especially since she had no idea what the hell they were gonna find once they got to Akuze. Shepard sent a message to Emma letting her know she wanted the night to herself:

_ Hey, I need some time to relax and decompress to myself. Not in the mood for company tonight. But lets meet up for coffee at oh-six hundred. _

After about ten minutes, Shepard got a response back:

_ Get some rest. And I’ll see you bright and early. ;-) _

Shepard thought that the winky face at the end of the message was cute, if very outdated. But then again, Emma knew Shepard liked things from the 20th century. Shepard turned on some music and got under the covers. Hopefully the excitement of leading her first mission wouldn’t keep her up.

Shepard woke at oh-five-hundred as her alarm startled her awake. Apparently Shepard had no issues falling asleep, even with the excitement of today. Shepard showered and was ready to go by oh-five-thirty. Sent sent a message to Emma to remind her of their coffee date and went to wait for her there. 

Emma arrived just before oh-six-hundred. She clearly did not get much sleep.

“Wow. You look awful. Did you not get any sleep?” Shepard handed Emma a fresh cup of straight black coffee, which Emma sipped with great joy.

“Oh sweet sweet caffeine. How I love thee.” Emma took another sip as the warmth of the coffee flowed through her body. 

“Should I give you and the cup of coffee some alone time?” Shepard joked as she took a sip of her coffee as well.

“Don’t care. Nothing’s better in the morning than a fresh cup of coffee.”

“Oh, really now? Because I definitely remember you mentioning some other things being the best thing in the morning..” Shepard playfully cupped one of Emma’s ass cheeks in her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Or has that changed?”

“Ok, maybe the second best thing.” Emma jokingly nudged her hips toward Shepard. “Too bad I couldn’t get some of that this morning.” 

“Well, play your cards right and you might get lucky tonight _ and _ tomorrow.” Shepard kissed Emma on the cheek as she headed to one of the tables in the small kitchen area. Shepard and Emma continued to talk for another forty or so minutes when a voice chirped through Shepard’s omni-tool. 

_ “Excuse me, Lieutenant Shepard? This is Lieutenant Commander Meloni. We’re approaching the planet. Please proceed to flight deck Bravo to prepare for boarding. Transport ships will be heading down around oh-seven-thirty.” _

“Thanks, Commander. I’m on my way.” As Shepard and Emma made their way to the flight deck, Shepard sent an alert to her platoon ordering them to meet at Flight Deck Bravo. 

Shepard and Emma arrived a few moments later. They were greeted by Command Meloni, a six-foot tall Caucasian male with balding grey hair and a matching goatee. “Evening Lieutenants. Your transport ships are ready to go. Once we’re in orbit, you’ll be sent down to the planet. If the situation goes FUBAR, radio us and we’ll send another transport with troops and some fighters for air support.”

“Thank you, Commander.” Shepard and Emma both saluted the Commander. “Our platoon is on their way. We should be ready to go here shortly.” Lt. Commander Meloni saluted back and dismissed himself. Shepard and Emma sent another message to the platoon that they were leaving in twenty minutes. 

The boarding and eventual flight down to the planet was quick and without much trouble. As Shepard walked off the transport and surveyed the colony, she noticed that aside from some upturned ground, nothing seemed amiss. The buildings were intact, with almost no damage. Everyone was just...gone. Shepard had a real uneasy feeling about what happened here. Best to get comms back online and notify command. Shepard radioed the sergeants with their orders:

“Sgt. DiNuoscio, I need you to check the comm tower. If it’s down, get it back online. Sgt. Toriyama, clear the buildings and set a perimeter around the colony. Sgt. Crest, get some defensive positions set up as well. Shepard walked around the colony as the infantry team cleared out the buildings. After about 10 minutes, Sgt. Toriyama approached Shepard with a salute.

“Ma’am.” Shepard returned the salute as Sgt. Toriyama continued. “All buildings have been swept. No signs of anyone. Everyone is just..gone. The buildings seem to be in near-perfect condition, aside from some scraps and mud marks. I’ve got a team setting a perimeter and working with Sgt. Crest to get defensive positions set up.”

“That’s what I feared. No survivors. I’ll check in with DiNuoscio and see if that comm tower is online. Also, any recommendations on which building would be best for headquarters?”

“The large on in the center. It appears to be some sort of main hall. Plenty of space to set up a temporary HQ.”

“Thanks, Sergeant. You’re dismissed.” As Sgt. Toriyama walked away, Shepard engaged her omni-tool and radioed to Sgt. DiNuoscio. “Sgt. DiNuoscio, any news on the comm tower?”

_ “ Si, Lieutenant. It appears that the comm tower is fully operational. My team is currently running a diagnostic on the tower to see if something caused the colony to not be able to transmit.” _

“Thank you, Sergeant. Notify me as soon as that diagnostic is finished. I want to send a report to command ASAP.”

_ “ Yes, ma’am.” _ Shepard cut her radio off and began to make her way to the Town Hall building. She had noticed some privates were taking supplies and her foot lockers into the building. Shepard wondered if it had been ordered by Emma. As Shepard entered the building, her thought was correct, Emma was inside speaking with the Platoon Sergeant, Sgt. Blust. 

“Morning. I see you had my gear unloaded, Lieutenant. A heads up would’ve been nice.” Shepard chuckled to show she wasn’t being too serious.

“Actually, Lieutenant. That was my call.” Sgt. Blust spoke up before Lt. Greene could reply. “Sgt. Toriyama had already cleared the building and suggested we use it for a base. Once you gave her the go-ahead, she notified me and I ordered to have all gear, supplies, and provisions that were for the HQ squad moved into the building. The Lieutenant here is helping to organize the HQ, as well as get the supplies where they need to be.”

“Thank you, Sergeant. That was a good call. Carry on.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Sgt. Blust saluted and headed further into the building. Shepard turned her attention to Emma.

“So, how’s it feel to be basically be in charge?”

“It feels pretty good. I could definitely get used to this.” Shepard and Emma walked through the main HQ building as Emma relayed where they planned on having certain rooms and offices. Shepard didn’t really object to any of the suggestions. After the walkthrough, Shepard went to her small quarters and began to unload her gear. All the while, the thought that something wasn’t right with this place continued to creep through her mind.


	7. Falseness

After unloading her gear and making the rounds around the makeshift camp that the crew was setting up, Shepard still could not shake the feeling that they were missing something. Colonies just don’t disappear out of thin air. Stopping to talk to several privates and ask their opinions, most said the same thing, albeit with some slight differences. 

The genuine consensus was that it was probably slavers, pirates, or Batarians that abducted the colonists. A few thought that the colonists decided to just up and leave. The last one wasn’t feasible as the colony wasn’t given a space faring ship when they arrived. Unless they radioed for someone and the Alliance missed it. Truth be told, Shepard didn’t like any of these options. Before Shepard could continue her train of thought, she was interrupted by Sgt. DiNuoscio.

_ “Mi scusi, signora. I have an update on the comm tower diagnostics.” _

“Find anything?” Hopefully there was some good news.

_ “Nothing. The tower is one-hundred percent operational. If they were unable to transmit, it wasn’t because of the tower. My guess is some kind of jammer was used. Which most likely means…” _ Shepard cut Sgt. DiNuoscio off before he could finish.

“Slavers or pirates. Thanks for the update, Sergeant.” Shepard disconnected without waiting for a response. Shepard let out an exasperated sigh while rubbing the bridge of her nose. She knew that slavers or pirates were most likely the cause of the disappearance, but it didn’t make it any less unfortunate. Now that she had a good idea as to what happened, Shepard began to make her way back to her quarters. She had a report to send back to Arcturus. 

A few moments later, Shepard was back in her quarters typing up her report to Arcturus. She still wasn’t one-hundred percent sure that it was slavers or pirates, but it was the best she had. After sending the report roughly an hour later, Shepard was ready to just relax and hopefully get off this rock as soon as possible. However, before Shepard could do anything else, she received a vid-call from Admiral Bergman.

“Shepard. Am I to understand this report correct? You found no conclusive evidence to prove what happened?” His voice was calm, yet incredibly stern. 

“Affirmative, Admiral. To be honest, we didn’t find much, if anything. Minor damage to some buildings, the comm tower was completely operational as well. But everyone was gone, as if they just got up from dinner and left.”

“That’s unsettling. Just to be safe, keep your unit out there until Monday morning. We’ll send a transport down from the  _ Cincinnatus  _ to pick you up then. In the meantime, fix up the colony as best you can, search for any further clues as to what happened. Worst case scenario, we’ll blame it on slavers. And we’ll make sure the next group of colonists has a small detachment for security. Just in case.”

“Will do, Admiral. I’ll be sure to forward my findings to you as soon as I have anything new.” Shepard saluted the Admiral as she finished her sentence.

“Thank you, Shepard. Bergman out.” Bergman returned the salute as he cut off the feed. 

_ Guess I better update Emma and the sergeants about the new orders. _ Shepard thought to herself as she laid down on her bed and began dictating the meeting request into her omni-tool. She planned to meet Emma and the sergeants in the small meeting room, that way they could at least get a bit of privacy to discuss the matter. Within half an hour, Shepard was in the meeting room waiting for everyone to arrive. After a few more minutes, Sgts. Toriyama and Crest walked in.

“Evening, LT. What’s the news?” Sgt. Crest asked as she turned around a chair at the far end of the table and leaned forward against the back of it. Sgt. Toriyama leaned against the wall directly behind Sgt. Crest.

“I’ll explain once Sgt. DiNuoscio and Lt. Greene get here.” Shepard was looking through her notes and didn’t really pay much attention to how blasé the sergeants were being. After another couple of minutes Shepard could hear Sgt. DiNuoscio and Lt. Greene having some kind of disagreement as they walked into the room.

“I don’t give a damn what your excuse is, Sergeant.” Lt. Greene was up in Sgt. DiNuoscio’s face as she continued to berate him. “I hear you do that shit again, I’ll have your ass court martialed. Hell, I might even have them string you up by your bootstraps, buck-ass naked. Just for the fun of it.” Lt. Greene turned and headed to the end of the table where Shepard was standing, dumbstruck. “Now sit your ass down and shut up.”

“What the hell was that about?” Whispered Shepard as she glanced at Sgt. DiNuoscio tucking his head into his chest as he sat down, clearly avoiding eye contact with everyone.

“Asshole would stop harassing some of the female privates. Nothing physical yet, but I wanted to make it clear that shit isn’t tolerated. Anyway, what’s the news?”

“Right. Sgt. DiNuoscio, keep it your fucking pants. I agree with Lt. Greene, this misogynistic attitude will not be tolerated. Understand?”

_ “Si, tenente.”  _ Sgt. DiNuoscio squeaked without looking up. Shepard was pretty hopeful being berated by two powerful women would help the message sink in about harassing other women. As Shepard turned her attention away from Sgt. DiNuoscio, she noticed the daggers that Sgts. Toriyama and Crest were staring into DiNuoscio’s soul.

“Ladies. Unless he does something to put someone directly in danger, you are not to retaliate. That’s an order.” 

“Yes, Lieutenant.” Both Toriyama and Crest answered simultaneously. Shepard glanced back to DiNuoscio, who still hadn’t looked up.

“Good. Now, on to the point of this meeting. Earlier today I spoke with Admiral Bergman. He has ordered us to stay here until Monday morning. In the meantime we are to fix any buildings that need repaired, as well as try and find  _ any _ clues we can about the missing colonists. Other than that, enjoy a slow weekend Sergeants. Any questions?”

“Yeah, I’ve got one.” Sgt. Crest spoke up, slightly annoyed. “So what you’re telling us is that we basically got sent out here for nothing?”

“Looks that way. And try and look on the bright side, you’ve got..” Shepard looked at the time on her omni-tool before continuing. “Near forty hours of unofficial R&R. Make use of it. Dismissed.” The sergeants all headed out of HQ and toward their respective camps, meanwhile Shepard and Lt. Greene stayed behind in the meeting room.

“By the way, loved how you handled Sgt. DiNuoscio. Kinda got me a little hot.” Shepard slid her hand around Emma’s waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss. “Let’s head back to my quarters for a bit of…” Shepard kissed Emma again before continuing. “Relaxation.” 

“That sounds like a great plan.” Emma kissed Shepard back as they began to head to Shepard’s quarters. Stopping to kiss every few feet before finally making it inside Shepard’s quarters, where they remained until the early evening. 

After several hours, which had included dinner, more rounds around the camp, and some more kissing, Shepard and Emma were now sitting next to a small fire that had been started just on the outskirts of the camp. 

“I know this isn’t gonna be a normal occurrence, but I could get used to this.” Emma was sitting next to Shepard while leaning her head on her shoulders.

“It is nice to be able to just sit back and relax. Even if it’s just for a day or two.” Shepard kissed Emma on the head and pulled her slightly closer.

“You two need to get a damn room.” Sgt. Crest was sitting on the ground leaning against a crate. Sgt. Toriyama was sitting on top of the crate with her legs straddled on either side of Sgt. Crest.

“Oh yeah, what about you two? I’ve barely seen you apart since we landed.” Shepard cocked her eyebrow and gave both of them a questioning look.

“We try to keep our PDA behind closed doors. Besides, with all the men around here I don’t want them thinking we’re for their entertainment. Especially Sgt. DiNuoscio’s men, they tend to have a very  _ old _ way of thinking.”

“Exactly. We’re not hiding our relationship by any means, we’re just not flaunting it. You know the old phrase;  _ “Discretion is the better part of valor.” _ Sgt. Toriyama had leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Sgt. Crest. “Granted, that doesn’t mean we won’t give folks a show. That is, when  _ we _ feel like it.” Sgt. Toriyama leaned Sgt. Crest’s head back and began to kiss her. 

“Point taken, Sergeants.” The couples sat by the fire and talked until well after the sun had set. Eventually, they were interrupted by a private who had noticed something unusual, slightly further out from their location. 

“Sorry for the interruption, Lieutenant. But I was looking out past the camp, and I thought I saw the ground...move.” The private sounded terrified of what he just said.

“Relax, Private. It was probably just the moonlight messing with you. There’s no evidence that this planet has any burrowing creatures large enough to move earth on that scale.”

“You’re probably right. Sorry to bother you.” 

“Well that was...odd.” Emma looked confused and concerned. “Do you think maybe it’s something the Alliance missed before sending the colonists?”

“I mean it’s possible. But something like that would’ve left plenty of evidence. When we got here there as no evidence that a burrowing creature was responsible. In fact...there was almost no evidence…” Shepard trailed off as she continued to think to herself.

“Something wrong, LT?” Sgt. Crest asked as she too was feeling a bit uneasy about the camp.

“Wha…” Shepard’s train of thought had been broken by Sgt. Crest’s response. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s just...it’s too  _ clean. _ Like someone came and cleaned up. Not really the MO of pirates and slavers. But I could just be over thinking this. Besides, there’s nothing that we can do at this point anyway.” Shepard shrugged her shoulders, got up and made her way toward where the private saw the ‘moving earth’. “But I’m gonna check out the perimeter, just to be safe. You guys wait here.” 

“Shepard, let some private handle it. Come sit down.”

“It’s alright, besides I’ve got my sidearm as always. I’ll be fine. No need to worry.” Shepard kissed Emma and made her way toward the vast empty field that bordered the western edge of the colony. 

After looking around for several minutes, Shepard found some evidence of turned earth, but it appeared to be small mounds, likely caused by something the size of a mole or groundhog. Figuring the private let the moonlight trick him, Shepard turned and headed back to the campfire. Suddenly, and without warning, the ground shook as if they were at the epicenter of a mighty earthquake. Shepard lost her balance in the shock and fell backwards, knocking the wind out of her. As she regained her composure, Shepard searched for Emma to see if she was safe. Right as Shepard found Emma, a loud screeching cry rang through the camp as a large creature burst out of the ground from underneath the fire. The force of the breach threw back Emma, along with Sergeants Toriyama and Crest. Shepard gazed in horror as she immediately knew what it was. A thresher maw.


	8. Death

Shepard immediately activated her barrier, pulled out her side arm, and began firing toward the maw hoping to draw it’s attention away from her crew. Shepard succeeded for a moment, as the maw turned toward her, spit a ball of highly corrosive acid in her direction. As Shepard quickly dove out of the way, she noticed the maw had turned its attention back toward Emma, Toriyama, and Crest. Thankfully, they had used the momentary distraction to seek shelter behind one of the buildings. All three had pulled out their sidearms and were firing at the maw, unfortunately the pistols did not seem to be strong enough to cause any significant damage. Shepard finally made it back into the camp, which was in complete chaos. Buildings had been upturned, set on fire, or flat out destroyed. Shepard and her team continued to fire at the maw, hoping to wound or kill it. Eventually, after several minutes of near-continuous firing, the maw released a loud cry as it disappeared back into the earth.

Shepard broke cover and ran to regroup with Emma, Toriyama, and Crest before the maw could resurface. Taking a few moments to regain their composure and breaths, the team eventually began to make their way through the camp, checking for survivors as they went. 

“Any luck with comms? I’ve been trying to radio Sgt. DiNuoscio, and I’m not getting any answer. Not even short band is working. Something isn’t right here.” Sgt. Toriyama tried to hide her concern as best she could, but it was still obvious she was terrified of the situation.

“I’m getting nothing as well. Something is definitely not right. No way that comm tower is out again.” Crest had the same trepidation as Toriyama.

“Alright, new objective. Get to the comm tower. Get a message to the _ Cincinnatus. _ Find Sgt. DiNuoscio and any other survivors.

About halfway through the camp, the team found 2 privates leaned up against an overturned truck, while a maw screeched and spit acid at them. Occasionally, the maw would lunge at the truck, with it’s sharp scythe like limbs, attempting to grab them or the truck and drag it underground. Shooting the maw to distract it, Shepard and her team made their way to the privates.

“How’re you holding up, privates?” Shepard asked, as the privates looked completely terrified.

“Gonna be honest, ma’am. I’m fucking terrified. I’ve never seen a maw up close. They’re even worse than the vids make them out to be.” The sounds of acid hitting and dissolving the truck echoed behind his words. 

“This truck isn’t gonna last much longer, we need to find better shelter. We also need to send a message out to the _ Cincinnatus. _ They’ll send reinforcements.” Shepard had entered crisis-mode, the same way she did during the Skyllian Blitz. She was in charge, and it was her responsibility to get everyone out alive.

“We tried. The comm tower wasn’t working. That’s where we came from before we got pinned…” The rest of the sentence became nothing more than screams as a ball of acid finally penetrated through the truck, soaking the privates. 

“Holy Hera.” Shepard exclaimed as she and her squad stepped back from the now melting privates. Knowing there was nothing she could do, Shepard continued on with her objective: Fix the comm tower. “C’mon. We’ve got to fix that tower. I’ll lay down cover fire, then each of you run to that upturned building to the north. Once you’re on the other side, help provide cover fire. Toriyama, you first. GO!” Toriyama ran as fast as she could to the building just beyond the maw as Shepard, Crest, and Emma fired at the maw. Crest and Emma soon followed. All three then fired at the maw as Shepard ran across the gap, the maw retreated underground as Shepard cleared the gap.

“This is insane, Shepard. How the hell are there thresher maws?! And why would the Alliance building a colony on a nest?” Sgt. Crest exclaimed as they made their way to the comm tower, using the buildings and debris as cover.

“I don’t think the maws were here when the Alliance set up this colony. If they were, they must’ve been dormant until the colony woke them up.” Shepard and her squad continued on until they were only a few meters from the tower, using another upturned truck as cover. 

“I don’t see any maws, but that doesn’t mean they won’t show up.” Shepard paused as she noticed a body crushed by some crates and debris close to the tower. “Well that explains why I couldn’t get a hold of Sgt. DiNuoscio. Looks like he didn’t make it.”

“I’d say I’d miss him, but I’d be lying.” Emma spoke dryly. 

“Right. Let’s focus. We can pretend to mourn him later.” Shepard grouped close with her squad. “I’m gonna head over to the tower, cover me.” 

“You got it, Shepard.” replied both Toriyama and Crest. “We’ve got your back.”

Shepard made her way toward the tower, quickly yet cautiously, as she was keeping her head on a swivel for maws. Shepard got about halfway to the tower, when she felt the ground rumble beneath her. She instinctively turned to check her six, and just as she turned around a maw burst out of the ground, directly underneath her team. Toriyama and Crest were swallowed whole, while Emma had been knocked a few feet back from the upturned earth.

The truck had been tossed into the air, while Shepard attempted to dive out of the way, she unfortunately became pinned under the bed of the truck. Her barrier took most of the damage from the impact, as well as preventing the truck from crushing her leg. Unfortunately, Shepard also ended up with a nasty gash on her head from the impact. As Shepard helplessly watched, the blood from her head wound beginning to seep into her eyes, as the maw now noticed Emma after having swallowed Toriyama and Crest. The maw screeched, then lunged itself forward stabbing Emma in the leg with it’s scythe-like claw, then dragging her toward its mouth. Shepard tried to reach for her gun, but it had been crushed by the truck, and she couldn’t focus enough to use her biotics. Shepard continued to watch in silent horror as Emma tried shooting and kicking the claw that had lodged itself in her leg. However, before she could free her leg, the maw plunged its other claw into her opposite shoulder, then quickly dragged her underground. The sound of Emma screaming for Shepard began to fade the further down she went, before eventually fading into nothingness.

As Shepard laid there, pinned under the truck, she continued to hear the screams of soldiers and thresher maws for what felt like an eternity. Eventually the camp fell silent, as if all sounds in the world had ceased to exist. At one point, Shepard thought she heard voices yelling commands. Despite the head trauma, Shepard was confident these weren’t Alliance soldiers, so she stayed quiet and pretended to be dead. However, no one seemed to notice her under the truck. So Shepard continued to lay there for what seemed like hours, long after the camp had gone silent again. Shepard eventually used her biotics to slowly lift the truck so she could slide out from under it. Woozy from losing what was probably a pint or so of blood, Shepard staggered her way to the comm tower. After fumbling with the terminal, Shepard finally managed to get a message out to the _SSV Cincinnatus._ Shepard then dropped to the ground, leaned against the comm tower and passed out.


	9. Pain

Screams. That’s all Shepard could hear in her dreams. Screams of attacking thresher maws, punctuated by the screams of dying soldiers. Shepard helpless to do anything but listen to her unit die. As the screams began to fade, Shepard opened her eyes and sat up. She was in what was clearly a hospital or med-bay, most likely on Arcturus Station. Before Shepard could get her bearings any further, a nurse leaned her back down.

“Relax, Lieutenant. You’re safe in the Arcturus Station med-bay.”

“How long was I out?” Shepard groggily asked as she reached for her head. The nurse pulled Shepard’s hand back down.

“About 48 hours, ma’am. You lost a dangerous amount of blood, not to mention the broken leg. Surgery took longer than expected, they almost had to amputate. I’m amazed you survived, to be perfectly honest.. And please leave your bandages alone. I just replaced them.” The nurse went back to checking Shepard’s vitals and making notes on her chart.

“Did...did anyone else survive the ambush?” Shepard knew the answer before she even finished the question.

“I’m sorry. You were the only one they brought back.” The nurse looked at Shepard with a sorrowful look and patted her on the shoulder.

“It was stupid to hope for anything better.” Shepard took a deep breath to try and relax herself. “Is there any way I could get some food? I’m starving.”

“Let me finish updating your chart and I’ll have some food brought up for you.” After a couple minutes the nurse left, leaving Shepard alone. 

Shepard tried to keep her mind busy, but every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Emma’s face as she was dragged underground. This continued until the nurse finally returned with some food. 

“Thanks..” Shepard paused when she realized she had no idea what the nurses’ name was. “Sorry, I didn’t catch the name?” 

“Lieutenant Margaret Pierce, ma’am.” Lt. Pierce was blond, about 6’ tall, athletically built, and had hawk-like facial features. 

“Thank you for getting me food, Lt. Pierce.” Shepard began to slowly eat the grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables that had been brought up. The food didn’t have much taste, but Shepard knew she needed the protein and vitamins so she just ignored it.

Shepard was discharged a couple days later, now with a fresh cast on her leg. While the medi-gel helped heal most of the damage, Shepard couldn’t avoid having to wear a cast. The doctor said she should only need a couple of months and she’d be good to go. Until then, Shepard was stuck in a wheelchair and most likely, desk duty. 

As Shepard made her way out of the med-bay, she was greeted by Admiral Bergman. 

“I see we’re up and wheeling around. How are you feeling?” The Admiral chuckled to himself at his own joke.

“Not entering any wheelchair races anytime soon, but I’m feeling pretty good.” Shepard barely managed to get a smile across her face. The Admiral seemed to notice, but didn’t press it. Instead, he decided to change the subject to more official matters.

“Well if you’re up for it, we need a debrief from you about what happened on Akuze. Lt. Pierce stonewalled me since you’ve been back. Deemed you medically unfit for debrief. Still can’t believe a Lieutenant can tell me no.”

“Benefits of being in the medical profession.” Shepard returned dryly. She was still finding it hard to find humor in anything. _ Hopefully this makes it easier to get this debrief done, _ Shepard thought to herself as they made their way to Admiral Bergman’s office. Shepard didn’t speak again until they were inside the Admiral’s office. When they arrived at the office, the Admiral directed Shepard to the couch and chairs on the far side of the room, instead of his desk. 

“Alright, Shepard. What the hell happened down there? Everything was fine, and the next thing we get is that the colony was attacked.” Admiral Bergman didn’t hide his concern in his question. Shepard began to relay the last two days slowly, but steadily. Shepard knew if she stopped she might not start again. After nearly half an hour of non-stop talking, Shepard finally finished relaying the attack. Nearly as soon as Shepard stopped talking, the screams had begun to creep back into her mind. Shepard instinctively closed her eyes and shook her head in an attempt to ward them off. It seemed to have worked, at least temporarily.

“Everything okay, Shepard. I know that must’ve been hard to talk about, especially this close to the event.” Admiral Bergman leaned forward and placed his hand gently on Shepard’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I have to keep putting you through this, but I do have some questions.” 

“I’m okay, just some run-of-the-mill trauma. Nothing some intense therapy couldn’t fix. Well, that or a nice bottle of whiskey. Not sure which one sounds better at the moment. Anyway, you had some questions?” Shepard smiled weakly, in an attempt to show she hadn’t lost her sense of humor.

“I’d go with the therapy, less problems later in life. But yes, I do have some questions. First; were there any attempts at the beginning stages of the attack to send a message to the _ Cincinnatus? _ Second; when you heard the soldiers, which I can confirm were not Alliance, did you see or hear anything that could identify them?

“I attempted to contact Sgt. DiNuoscio, but I received no reply. Figured he was dead, so I moved on and focused on regrouping with the small group I was with just prior to the attack. All three confirmed that their short-band radios were dead as well.”

“And those three were 2nd Lieutenant Greene, and Sergeants Toriyama and Crest, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” Shepard took a deep breath, the last thing she needed to do right now was to break down in tears. “And in regards to the unknown soldiers that showed up just after the attack, from my limited view I could only see that they were wearing matching black armor. No logos, patches, names. Nothing to make them stand out. However, they spoke and moved like a military unit. Maybe some black-ops group that’s gone rogue? I’m not sure, but something felt off when I heard them. Also, and I’m not one-hundred percent clear on this, but I’m pretty sure they took any survivors they found. Not sure how many, but I could definitely hear human screams over the commands.” Shepard had now sat up and was speaking confidently, as if the events of the last couple of days never happened. “This same group also somehow managed to jam our communications without making it look like they did. That requires knowledge of our communications systems. These guys have to be ex-Alliance in some capacity, even the world’s best tech expert couldn’t replicate our comms to perfection without having some intimate knowledge of how it works.”

“Some rogue black-ops group with intimate knowledge of Alliance protocols,that could cause a lot of issues if we don’t get in front of it. Thank you for for the information, Shepard. You’re free to go.”

“That’s it? What’s the next step?” Shepard tried to get out of her wheelchair, but the Admiral motioned for her to stay sitting.

“For you? To get better. You’re officially on medical suspension, full pay. Get that leg healed up, and see a shrink for the PTSD. Last thing I need is for my best officer to get cat-sixed* because she wanted to “tough it out” and not talk about her fucking feelings.” Admiral Bergman got up and went to retrieve a couple of small boxes from his desk. “These are for you. If you want, we can have an official ceremony, but I figured you’d probably want to skip it.” Admiral Bergman handed Shepard the small boxes, the first containing a bronze cross with a caravel at its center. The cross was attached to a blue ribbon with a thin white vertical stripe down the center. 

“The Navy Cross. Thank you, sir.” Shepard could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. As she blinked the tears back, Shepard opened the second box, revealing a pair of small golden oak leaves. Confused, she looked up at the Admiral for confirmation. “Sir..”

Admiral Bergman nodded his head in confirmation. “Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander.” Admiral Bergman smiled as he continued. “Now go rest and heal up. And talk to a therapist. That’s an order. You’re dismissed, Lieutenant Commander.” 

Shepard saluted the Admiral and wheeled herself back to her quarters. On her way back she began to think about everything that happened and how she was unprepared. Shepard vowed to herself, _ I’m going to make sure that never happens again. _


	10. Forward

Three months later, Shepard was deemed physically fit for full active duty as her leg had completely healed. Shepard had also seen a therapist and was also deemed mentally fit. She hadn’t been terrified of her dreams for over a month.

After she received her fit for duty papers, Shepard made her way to Admiral Bergman’s office. Once there, she was immediately let in by the secretary.

“I see my secretary just lets anyone in here these days.” Bergman laughed as he returned Shepard’s salute. “So what can I do for you, Shepard?”

“Sir, there’s something I would like to request.” Shepard stood at attention in front of the Admiral’s desk.

“Not even fit for duty more than five minutes and you’re already gearing up for the next mission. I guess that three months off made you a bit stir-crazy, huh. So what was your request.”

“Sir, I would like to join the Interplanetary Combatives Academy.”

“You want to go to The Villa? After everything you’ve been through, you want to subject yourself to  _ more _ punishment?”

“Sir, I can handle this. And I’ll have that N7 designation within 5 years.” Shepard had yet to break attention, and continued to stare straight forward.

“We’ll see if you can handle it. Permission to join the Villa granted, Shepard. I’ll expedite your request and transfer on my personal word. And for Christ’s sake, at ease and take the stick outta your ass.”

“Thank you, sir.” Shepard saluted, dropped from attention, and relaxed. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re dismissed. I’ll get your request and recommendation letter to ICA by the end of the day today. Best of luck, Commander.” Shepard turned and headed out of the office and began to head to the Officers Club for a celebratory drink.

* * *

Two weeks later, Shepard found herself on a shuttle heading toward The Villa.

“Damn, that is one helluva view, ain’t it, LT?” Asked a random Lieutenant, whose name Shepard did not remember. 

“I’d prefer Commander, if you don’t mind Lieutenant.” Commander Shepard was standing and looking out of the window of the shuttle door. A couple thousand feet below them was the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, home to ‘The Villa’. The Villa was the nickname of the notorious Interplanetary Combatives Academy compound, Vila Militar. Another prominent nickname for Vila Militar was ‘N-School’. As this was where everyone began their training toward the illustrious ‘N’ designation. As the shuttle continued to fly over the city, Shepard whispered to herself, “It is beautiful, though.”

Shepard watched Rio go from the bright city lights, to the dingy dimmed lights of the favela, to the darkness of the surrounding jungle. The faint sound of screams had begun to echo in the back of Shepard’s mind. Shepard simply smiled, whispered _'Never Again' _to herself, then continued to admire the view, completely undisturbed as the screams slowly faded back into the deepest parts of her mind.


End file.
